Lawyer Liu Shihui Detained by Police during Inquiry of Activists in Custody

Human Rights in China has received information that Guangdong lawyer Liu Shihui (刘士辉) was detained on Sunday afternoon, January 5, by authorities at the Dadongjie police substation in the Yuexiu District of Guangzhou. According to information available online, he has since been transferred out of the police substation, and his whereabouts are unknown at this point.

In mid-December, Liu helped rights defender ChenJianfang (陈建芳) file separate administrative complaints against the police and border inspection officials at the Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou for preventing her from boarding a flight to Geneva on September 14, 2013. She was en route to attend a human rights training session and to observe the UN Human Rights Council in session. According to an account by Liu, the Baiyun District Court, where the complaint was filed, told him that "leaders' approval is needed" for the court to accept the complaints.

A group of 109 legal professionals have issued a statement protesting Liu’s detention.

According to various Weibo posts, Liu had gone to the Dadong police substation to inquire about the whereabouts of three individuals, Xiao Qingshan (肖青山), Zhang Shengyu (张圣雨), and Ma Shengfen (马胜芬). They were taken away by the police on January 4, from the home of their friend Liang Songji (梁颂基), where they had gathered. Liang was also taken into custody and is reported by Human Rights Campaign in China in a blog post to have been officially criminally detained. All four have been active in the Southern Street Movement, a network of rights defenders who mount street protests in the southern part of China.

Below are Chinese Weibo posts compiled by HRIC, which give details of Liu’s detention and the events that preceded it.

@一直追寻南方1 (Deleted from Weibo, available on freeweibo.com)【刘士辉律师消息】：我前去广州东华东路367号大东派出所，要求了解张圣雨，肖青山等3人的关押地点，利于律师会见，022053号警察对我实施非法拘禁，声称等国保来，关上门不让我走，并收了我身份证！现已被关在一个有水泥柱子的审讯室里，有两个警察看守，022957号警察对我进行审讯！请大家关注！[话筒]2014年01月05日 18:42

@隋牧青律师 (Deleted from Weibo, available on freeweibo.com)刘士辉律师：我现在在广州东华东路367号要求了解张圣雨等三人的关押地点，利于律师会见。022053号警察对我实施非法拘禁，声称等国保来，关上门不让我走，并拦住我的去路。2014年01月05日 16:00

@公民小彪3 (Deleted from Weibo, available on freeweibo.com)广州滘口消息：有便衣在阿基住的居民楼下整整侯了一天，总共来了有五六辆警车，加便衣少说有五六十人。恶警带了盾牌，开门器械。张圣雨等几人高喊打倒独裁，肖青山，张圣雨，马胜芬，梁颂基经顽强抵抗，英勇被拘。2014年01月04日 21:22